By BECKY RUTHERFORDCOVID-19 relief is on the way from the federal government, and even though they haven’t printed a single stimulus check yet, the bad guys are already trying to get their share.
There are already reports of scammers who claim to be calling about the federal government’s COVID-19 stimulus package. These calls claim that you can get your money immediately if you just give the caller your debit or credit card information. They might claim you qualify for $1,000-$14,000 in federal relief funds; in some cases, they might claim it is “grant money”. The government will not be calling, texting or emailing about the stimulus funds.
Consider any calls you get about the federal government’s relief package to be suspicious. You will never have to pay money to receive federal relief funds, and there are currently no grants related to COVID-19. You cannot pay extra to expedite the payments. Don’t give away your bank account, debit account, credit card, or PayPal account information, even if the caller claims it is required to receive your stimulus funds. It’s a scam.
As a reminder, avoid clicking on links or open attachments in emails if you can help it, even if it’s from a “trusted sender”; their account may have been compromised. Instead, go directly to the source, either call the organization’s verified number or visit their website directly to check the validity of the message.
Variations on this scam have been reported through text messages, social media posts, and emails. You will not have to provide the government with any information to receive your stimulus money.
According to reports from CNN, most Americans will receive up to $1200 per person in stimulus funds. Parents will receive another $500 for each child under age 17. Americans might start receiving money within three weeks, but it could take longer.
How will you receive the funds? Those who filed their 2018 tax returns electronically and provided the IRS with bank information will likely get their payments via direct deposit. Otherwise, you will probably receive a paper check.
According to the IRS’s website, no sign-up is required, and there is no need to call. Additional information can be found here: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus
The stimulus law states that recipients will receive a notice by mail no later than 15 days after payment, which will indicate how much was sent, and by which method it was delivered.
If you spot one of these scams, you can report it to the Better Business Bureau here: https://www.bbb.org/ScamTracker
The bad guys are working hard to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic; be aware and don’t fall for the scams.
Editor’s note: Becky Rutherford works in information technology at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
